Various pumping arrangements have been used for oil wells and one particular system involves the use of a screw pump lift system. In such systems, the well drive brings oil, sand and water up the tubing from the bottom of the well. Above the wellhead, the flow is typically redirected by means of a flow "T". The well polish rod extends out through the flow "T" and a stuffing box provides the seal therefore. Unfortunately the stuffing box, often cannot stop all of the fluid following the polished shaft that is used to drive the pump. Thus, leakage occurs at the polish rod and oil accumulates on the wellhead that has to be continuously cleaned up. Furthermore the packing has to be changed frequently whereby a high service cost is incurred. The type of fluid being pumped, i.e. an oil or a fluid or material having oil therein, and the use of the drive shaft which is of a polished steel, in combination with the continuous operation of such a pump for an oil well, contributes to the problem and stationary seals have not proven satisfactory.
There remains a need to provide a simple solution for overcoming the difficulties outlined above.